Mrs

I had a aortic dissection repaired 10 years ago at CCF but was left to follow-up in my home town.  My last echocardiogram showed atrium at upper limit of normal, continued septal hypokinesis but EF has dropped to 40 + or - 5.  What does this mean?  Numbers include 2007 root 3.9
     Lf atrial diam 4.6
2006 root 3.4
atrial 4.1
2002 root 4.2
atrial 3.5
Thank you Turtle3

[Cleveland Clinic]

I am assuming that you had a type A dissection that was repaired here at CCF.  If that is the case and depending on how the aortic root and ascending aorta were repaired, it seems that the measurement from 2006 was slightly inaccurare underestamating the size of the aorta.  But overall, it seems that the aortic size has been stable since 2002.  The atrium is enlarging.  Typically that happens in the setting of high blood pressure or with atrial fibrillation.  I am assuming that there is not mitral valve disease on the echocardiogram, ie, no significant mitral regurgitation or mitral stenosis.  So I would make sure that your blood pressure is well controlled and get an EKG to make sure that you are not in Afib.